Akeem Spence claims decision to kneel cost his dad a job

Detroit Lions defensive tackle Akeem Spence announced on Twitter that his recent protest during the national anthem cost his contractor father a job.

‘Got some awful news from my father a contractor [a potential customer denied] giving him a job on doing a house because of my peaceful protest #smh,’ Spence wrote on Twitter Thursday.

Spence’s father Floyd could not be reached at his home or business for comment.

Spence was one of eight Lions players who took a knee while linking arms with most of their teammates and owner Martha Ford during the playing of the national anthem before Sunday’s loss to the Atlanta Falcons.

Detroit Lions defensive tackle Akeem Spence (far left) shared on Twitter earlier Thursday that his father, a contractor, was denied a job on a house due to his protest

Spence was among the eight Lions players who took a knee before their game against the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday

Akeem Spence and his Detroit Lions teammates recently chipped in during a cooking competition at Baker College

He told the Detroit Free Press on Wednesday that his taking a knee was ‘no disrespect to the American flag’.

‘It’s about right and wrong, like I always say,’ Spence said.

‘And what’s right is right and what’s wrong is wrong,’ he continued. ‘It’s no offense to nobody, no disrespect. Just like I always tell people, love one another and we’ll be alright.’

The ongoing controversy over NFL players protesting police brutality against minorities has had many unintended consequences.

Tennessee Titans star Delanie Walker said he and his family have received death threats since he told fans not to come to games if they felt disrespected by NFL players’ protests.

The Pro Bowl tight end shared the ‘heartbreaking’ threats on Thursday night in a post on Facebook.

‘The death threats that my family and I have received since my comments are heartbreaking,’ Walker, 33, wrote.

‘The racist and violent words directed at me and my son only serve as another reminder that our country remains divided and full of hateful rhetoric.’

Tennessee Titans tight end Delanie Walker said he and his family have received death threats since he told fans not to come to games if they felt disrespected by NFL players’ protests (Pictured, left, September 2016, and right, January 2015)

He says the comments have been directed at him and his son, Delanie Walker Jr (pictured together, July 2014)

On Thursday, Walker wrote: ‘The death threats that my family and I have received since my comments are heartbreaking. The racist and violent words directed at me and my son only serve as another reminder that our country remains divided and full of hateful rhetoric’

Walker and the Tennessee Titans joined the Seattle Seahawks in staying inside their locker rooms during the national anthem on Sunday, and Walker walked out arm-in-arm with quarterback Marcus Mariota.

The following day, he told fans that if they felt the protests were disrespectful to not come.

‘And the fans that don’t want to come to the games, OK, bye,’ Walker said Monday. ‘I mean if you feel that’s something where we’re disrespecting you, don’t come to the games.

‘You don’t have to. No one is telling you to come to the game. It’s your freedom and your choice to do that.’

The Titans had no comment Thursday night.

This spring, Walker took part in the NFL’s USO Tour of the Middle East. He said in his Facebook post he gained an even greater appreciation for the men and women who defend American values.

‘These words of hate will only fuel me in my efforts to continue my work reaching out to different community groups, listening to opposing voices, and honoring the men and women in the Armed Forces who risk their lives every day so that we may have this dialogue,’ he wrote.

Walker and the Titans joined the Seattle Seahawks in staying inside their locker rooms during the national anthem on Sunday, and Walker walked out arm-in-arm with quarterback Marcus Mariota (Pictured left to right: Walker, Mariota, Wesley Woodyard,Jurrell Casey, and Brian Orakpo walk out onto the field with arms linked in the September 24 game against the Seahawks)

The following day, Walker told fans that if they felt the protests were disrespectful to not come (Pictured, Walker, right, in October 2015 playing against the Atlanta Falcons)

This spring, Walker took part in the NFL’s USO Tour of the Middle East. He said in his Facebook post he gained an even greater appreciation for the men and women who defend American values

The demonstrations began in 2016 when then-49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick took a knee for the duration of the anthem before a preseason game to protest police brutality and racism against minorities. The protests gained steam throughout last season and several players continued demonstrating by sitting, kneeling, or raise a fist during the anthem in 2017.

But after Week 2 of this season, when only a handful of players participated, President Donald Trump took aim at the protesters, calling them ‘sons of b******’ during a speech in Alabama on September 22.

Trump followed with an onslaught of critical tweets throughout the weekend. But if his intention was to dissuade the players from protesting, Trump missed the mark. Over 200 players demonstrated in one way or another in Week 3.

Most NFL sidelines on Sunday featured players standing for the anthem or kneeling in protest, but several teams decided to demonstrate as a team.

For instance, the Dallas Cowboys coaches, players, and even owner Jerry Jones knelt while locking arms before their Monday Night Football game in Arizona on Monday.

Fans booed in response, leading Trump to tweet on Tuesday that the boos were the ‘loudest’ he had ever heard.

Trump claimed the boos directed at the Dallas Cowboys were the ‘loudest I have ever heard.’ ESPN earned a 9.3 overnight rating, which is a 63 percent jump from Week 3 last year

The Dallas Cowboys and owner Jerry Jones took a knee while locking arms on Monday night

On Thursday night, the Green Bay Packers and the Chicago Bears all stood for the national anthem, arms linked.

Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers insisted before the game on Thursday that it was not a protest but ‘a unified demonstration of love and solidarity.’

They asked fans to join in on what they described as their ‘call to connect’, some of whom did.

They were surrounded by others who placed their hands on their hearts, waved American flags and held signs condemning the protests which have swept across the NFL and spread into other pockets of pop culture since President Donald Trump condemned them last week.

Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers (second from left) insisted before the game on Thursday that it was not a protest but ‘a unified demonstration of love and solidarity’

They asked fans to join in on what they described as their ‘call to connect’, some of whom did (pictured)